Not from the stars do I my judgment pluck
And yet methinks I have astronomy,
But not to tell of good or evil luck,
Of plagues, of dearths, or seasons’ quality;
Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell,
’Pointing to each his thunder, rain, and wind,
Or say with princes if it shall go well
By oft predict that I in heaven find.
But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive,
And, constant stars, in them I read such art
As truth and beauty shall together thrive
If from thyself to store thou wouldst convert;
Or else of thee this I prognosticate,
Thy end is truth’s and beauty’s doom and date.

• Shakespeare’s Sonnet 14

The December Deal special opportunity.

Year at a Glance: 2020

Astrologically speaking, what does the next year look like?

Horoscopes for 12.26.2019

Had to happen sooner or later, but that’s a whole Shakespeare sonnet, #14, stretched out as this week’s preamble, which, I will add, includes a clandestine overview of the next year. The use of the term, “astronomy” in line two, that was from an era when astronomy and astrology were pretty much on the same page.

New Moon in Capricorn, Dec. 26, 12:13 AM Central. Objects in the mirror may be closer than they appear.

“Boxing Day” is a quaint British — as far as I know — tradition.

Capricorn

Older guy looked at me, shrugged his shoulders, “It’s another ‘grip and grin,’ you know.” Never heard it like that. Totally new phrase, to me. While I was, over the years, used to the expressions, like “Press the flesh,” or “meet and greet,” I never heard “grip and grin.”

It was one of those situations, soldier up, where we’re forced to interact with countless, swarming hordes, some are people eager to meet us, and some are people, well, “Not so eager?” There is that. It’s not all bad, but I tend to stay away from the catered chicken or — personal experience suggests — stay far away from the catered fish dish. I tend to stick with sad vegetables that are over-cooked with runny sauces that seem to have melted between cooking and catering, usually a day — or more.

Older wire-heads used to call this “meatspace,” a place where we all had to physically interact, and some of the kids these days, they do seem clueless, unable to look up from their phones. While I prefer to hibernate during this time? I’m not Capricorn, and there’s a certain calling that must be answered, pressing you into service.

“Grip and grin,” it’s the way your next year looks. Practice the elevator pitch. “You got 20 seconds to sell me.” Get ready, it’s the special Capricorn season to grip and grin.

Aquarius

“Nothing runs on automatic,” L.W ‘Bud’ Shipley, Jr.

It’s a quote that I started this year with, at the very beginning of 2019 — Nothing runs on automatic. As we look 2020 solidly in the eye? That quote kept echoing in my mind. First place I saw? Shipley Donuts, and I dismissed the quote as a “founding father” aphorism that seemed a little out of place. Donuts, how hard can that be? The one place that’s close, while it’s not anything I’d eat out of habit, I got one buddy, and that’s his catnip, plain, glazed donuts from Shipley’s. So I kept seeing the sign, and I incorporated it in some of my work, as reminder, more to myself than anyone else, that there’s always the human touch required.
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Marry, I will, let them play it. Is not a comonty a Christmas gambold, or a tumbling-trick?

• Sly in Shakespeare’s
  Taming of the Shrew (1.2.119)

Horoscopes for 12.19.2019

The sun moves into the tropical sign of Capricorn on 12/22/2019, at 12:19 AM — happy winter solstice. The December Deal special opportunity.

Capricorn

Hypergolic energy. Use it. Happy birthday. Locally, the roads at the edge of the incorporated parts of town are dotted with “fireworks stands.” Bang-up business, twice a year, New Years and July 4th. The fireworks are the perfect metaphor for some, and for some, the fireworks stands as a business model is as good an example as any. There’s certain rules and regulation, like, has to be inside the county line, but outside of the incorporated areas that restrict fireworks sales. Has to be plenty of parking, and from what I’ve observed, there needs to be a wide, open space for trying out what was just bought. I wouldn’t know; I have one fishing buddy with kids, and fireworks means an expensive trip to the stand for him. We hit that Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, and the beginning of Capricorn? It’s like lighting a fuse, and the first few days, the fuse just sparkles and sputters, but once there’s the shift from Sagittarius into Capricorn? Boom! That’s a good “boom,” I hope. Like fireworks.

Aquarius

Behind every angry woman? There’s a man with no clue as to what he did wrong. While the content of the joke is sexist, puerile, and essentially dated with roots in a previous era? Pause, for just a second. Adjust the pronouns, or nouns, the subjects of the sentences, as need be. Man and wife, husband and spouse, oh please, it’s still true to this day. The genders can easily be reversed, so it’s not gender specific. “Did I do something wrong?” If you have to ask? “Did I do something wrong?”
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Sweet ladies, will it please you sit? Sir Harry,
Place you that side, I’ll take the charge of this.
His Grace is ent’ring. Nay, you must not freeze,
Two women plac’d together makes cold weather.

Lord Chamberlain in
Shakespeare’s Henry VIII 1.4.19-

Horoscopes for 12.12.2019

Full Moon in Sagittarius and Gemini, 12.12.2019 at 12:12 AM CDT or 12.11.2019 at 11:12 PM. Your Mileage May Vary. The December Deal special opportunity.

Sagittarius

This is a gambler’s week. How much of a gambler are we? Just about every Sagittarius fancies him or her self as bit of bonviant and having certain touch with, “The ponies.” Or whatever, however, that shows up.

One of my little Sagittarius brothers kept insisting that he would always win on lotto scratchers. The deal is, the odds favor the house. In other words? No way we’re winning more than we spend. I’m a bit unusual in that — it has happened — I have won at games of chance. Pure luck and the odds are in our favor, but only just. There’s always a little warning that goes with this kind of a “gambler’s transit,” though: never spend more than we are willing to lose. Only spend what we’re willing to admit might not come back right away. Might not a be a good week to be making “investments,” which, to other people might look like a gamble. Careful, not saying “don’t,” just suggesting we make sure.

Your Mileage May Vary.

Capricorn

Secrets to success? I’ll let you in on a little secret that’s proven very effective this holiday season: ground cardamom. Organic, non-GMO, ground cardamom. In the past, I’ve trotted out the old “cinnamon in the coffee” routine, and met with warm accolades, but not nearly as cool as the cardamom. That spice has some kind of weird texture, and it’s more pungent, so I have to be more circumspect and careful with dosage. A single shake from the bottle is all it takes. Why a classical spice like this?
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